WORKING TO THE FINAL PROTOTYPE OF CHIN UP, BUTTERCUP, there were many changes and challenges I faced. The consensus from the first semester was to exaggerate the “chin up” much more. I had played around with making the knit higher to cover the face and longer to become more layered (but this was too similar to the aesthetic of Pull Yourself Together).

Eventually I came around to making the “neck brace” element as a separate piece from the scarf as means of pushing the notion of disguise. The user would then be able to wear each piece separately or together. The brace portion is made from vegetable tan leather, molded to fit comfortably under the chin. It snaps together at the back; the tighter the snap, the more restrictive the head movement and higher the chin. I also decided to reduce the gauge of the knit to look more commonplace, but with metal toggles that reference something more medical.